Randomness

When you get reminded that nothing lasts forever

Today was a day of random chores and a lot of thinking.

Unplanned.

The chores just somehow sprung out of me. I had very little plans, but it turns out that I had energy. Energy that I have not seen in weeks.

Most women my age suffer from too little energy. Perimenopause is a bitch that no-one really needs or invited in. It is rare when women like me feel the sprout of energy you need to accomplish the extra bit. Not sure how my day of random accomplishments started. My husband and me were talking about my running and that I have not run any races lately. And I had to show him my medals. Kind of in sadness. As if to describe an era long gone. And we hung them up. That made me happy and strangely inspired me.

Here they are; all the marathons, ultras, and halfs I have ever run are on the left. The pile on the furthest right hook is just random 5ks and 10ks. Yes, I am bragging. But this was hard work. And I did this by myself. Running used to be easy. An escape point. Since I am in a better relationship, I do not feel like running away as often as with my ex and the covid panic really ruined a lot of racing, so I have not done much running lately.

I miss it.

I am a very proactive person. To do lists become “done lists” very quickly. And I have always prided myself that my house is typically always guest ready. Part of it is that I am a person that cannot relax unless the house is clean.

What most of you do not know, but can easily guess, is that I hate clutter. Yet, with two households coming together plus all the stuff my mother in law could no longer use after we sold her house, I ended up with more clutter than I could have ever imagined.

My garage is full of random stuff. Boxes of which I do not even know what is in there. What is not in my garage? Right. Cars. They no longer fit.

So, with winter nearing — I swear this week in Michigan we went from 90 degrees on Monday to freeze warning on Thursday. It was nuts — I decided that we needed to free the garage of its clutter infestation and make room for the cars. So, I decided to adopt the good china from my mother in law, so at least a few boxes could disappear. For this, I needed to make room in the kitchen.

That was a surprisingly easy task. The reason is quite simple. I had an entire kitchen cupboard section dedicated to office supplies. Mostly for my kids when they used to do their homework at the kitchen table. They almost always needed something. Paper, folders, pencils, pens, etc. and as I good proactive mom, I always had the right supplies at hand.

It was time for the school stuff to leave the house. My youngest son is in his second year in college. He clearly is not coming home to do homework from the kitchen table any time soon.

Another era has ended.

But then… while still working on cleaning out the garage, what I found was even more curious.

I found a Black Forest wall clock.

No, not a Kuckucksuhr (cuckoo clock).

The Black Forest is not only known for Grimm fairy tales like Hansel and Gretel but also for its clock making. So, apparently my mother in law had an old Hermle clock and even though it is gaudy looking, I decided to hang it up in my dining room. I kinda like it there.

And with the clock addition I had to rearrange other things in the house. To a point where now everything looks slightly different. I sometimes like change. I also have changed my style over the years quite a bit. I no longer appreciate the IKEA modern look of my 20s. I never really warmed up to mid-century or other modern looks in furniture. I actually prefer the more traditional looks from the turn of the century. Practical, sturdy. Lasting.

And then, because it was already an all German day digging through old German stuff, I also made a traditional German plum cake. To eaten with real whipped cream. The cake is not as good as what my mom used to make. But it was edible. Another era gone, my mom’s plum cake was famous and I do not think anyone will every be able to replicate it jus has she did it. I tried. I failed. I just do not have talent when it comes to yeast dough.

Sometimes it is weird to think what you miss the most when it is gone.

Kids doing homework at the kitchen table while you cook. Being able to jump outside for a quick 8 mile run. A plum cake you ate every year since you can remember until 2019. Times are changing.

Happy Saturday.

How was yours?